I TIMOTHY 1:1-2

 

I TIMOTHY 1:1-2

 

1. INTRODUCTION

 

QUESTION:  WHAT CAN WE LEARN ABOUT THE AUTHOR AND SETTING BY READING HIS LETTER?

 

1.1.The pattern: greetings, prayer, thanksgiving, special greetings and salutations.

 

1.2.Sample of Greek Papyri letter sent from Apion to his father 1800 years ago.

 

“Apion sends heartiest greetings to his father and lord Epimachus [the greeting].  I pray above all that you are well and fit; and that things are going well with you and my sister and her daughter and my brother [the prayer].  I thank my Lord Serapis [his god] that he kept me safe when I was in peril on the sea [thanksgiving to the gods].  As soon as I got to Misenum I got my journey money from Caesar – three gold pieces.  And things are going fine with me.  So I beg you, my dear father, send me a line, first to let me know how you are, and then about my brothers and thirdly, that I may kiss your hand, because you brought me up so well, and because of that I hope, God willing, soon to be promoted.  Give Capito my heartiest greetings, and my brothers and Serinilla [his girl friend?] and my friends.  I sent you a little picture of myself painted by Euctemon [the modern day photograph].  My military name is Antonius Maximus.  I pray for your good health.  Serenus sends good wishes, Agathos Daimon’s boy, and Turbo, Gallonius’s son [special salutations and personal greetings.]

  

2.         HE GIVES NAMES/TITLES THAT IDENTIFY THE GOD OF THE BIBLE

 

ASK: WHAT ARE THE VARIOUS TITLES / NAMES GIVEN TO GOD IN VERSES 1 & 2?

 

 

2.1.  God the Father

 

Isa 63:16  Doubtless thou [art] our father, though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel acknowledge not: thou, O LORD, [art] our father, our redeemer; thy name [is] from everlasting.

 

2.2.  Christ Jesus our Lord

 

2.1.1.     14 times in I Timothy we read of Christ Jesus, three times of Lord Jesus Christ.

 

2.1.2.     Christ is the Greek translation of Messiah, “the anointed one”, the promised deliverer of

Israel

 

Gen 3:15 – And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shall bruise his heel.

 

Psa  2:2 – The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, [saying],

 

Dan 9:25 – Know therefore and understand, [that] from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince [shall be] seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.

 

Jhn 1:41 – He first finds his own brother Simon, and said unto him, we have found the Messiah, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.

 

2.1.3.     “Jesus” is from the Hebrew “Yeshua” and means Savior.

 

Mat 1:21 – And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shall call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

 

2.1.4.     God is referred to as Spirit in I Tim. 4:1

 

And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness [was] upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters  (Gen 1:2)

 

Now the Spirit speaks expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils (I Tim. 4:1)

 

2.1.5.     God is a unity in trinity.

 

Mat 28:19 – Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

ASK: APART FROM BEING A TRINITY (ONE IN THREE) HOW COULD GOD POSSESS AND EXERCISE LOVE FROM ETERNITY?

 

1.  PAUL’S INTRODUCTION GIVES AN OVERVIEW OF CHRISTIAN FAITH

 

 

3.1.  Service “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God.”

 

3.1.1.     There are 16-18 gifts in the Bible.  Paul was commanded to be an apostle.  Timothy had the gift of shepherding, pastoring. , Jon said he had the gift of encouragement and hospitality.   We all have gifts; we all are commanded to serve.

 

 

3.2.  Community “To Timothy, my true son in the faith.”

 

3.2.1.     Paul probably uses “true” son because Timothy had a Greek father and thus by the Jews was considered illegitimate, not fully a Jew.

 

3.2.2.     Paul talks about relationships. Christian refer to each others as brothers, sisters, co-workers, fellow heirs, family of God, children of God, flock of God,

 

3.3.  Salvation “God our Savior”

 

2Ti 1:10 – But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death, and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:

 

3.3.1.     In the ancient world many kings described themselves as “Savior” e.g. Ptolemy I called himself the “Soter of Egypt” and The Seleucid monarch Antiochus IV (175-164bc) referred to himself as “Theos Epiphanes” (God manifest.”

 

3.3.2.     Here God is called “our: Savior and we speak about “our” Savior Jesus Christ.

 

3.3.3.     [Unknown A1] Juruselamat explained by “juru-pilot”, juru-masak, juru-tik.

 

3.4.  Hope “Christ Jesus our hope.”

 

3.4.1.     According to Vine, “favorable and confident expectation.”

 

3.4.2.     A Christian’s hope is built on fact — My hope is built on nothing less / Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness; / I dare not trust the sweetest frame, / But wholly lean on Jesus’ name. / On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand; / All other ground is sinking sand,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3.5.    Grace “Grace, mercy and peace” 

 

3.5.1.     Grace – sheer generosity, unearned and undeserved, the opposite of debt and wages. ”Paul had already transformed the Greek greeting chairein (“Greetings!”) into (“Grace”) and brought alongside the Hebrew greetings shalom (“peace”).

 

3.5.2.     “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast” (Eph. 2:8-9).

 

3.5.3.     The reformers, “By grace alone, through faith alone to God alone be glory.”

 

3.6.  Peace “Grace, mercy and peace.”

 

3.6.1.     “Peace is the antithesis to every kind of conflict and war and molestation, to enmity without the distraction within” (F.J. Hort).  “The most comprehensive form of well-being.”

 

3.6.2.     For Christians this means “Peace with God.”  Rom 5:1Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

 

3.6.3.     This also means having God’s peace within our hearts and living at peace with each other:  Col 3:15, “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.”

 

3.7.   Mercy “Grace, mercy and peace.”

 

3.7.1.     DEFINITION: “the lid or cover of the ark of the covenant,” signifies the Propitiatory, so called on account of the expiation made once a year on the great Day of Atonement, Hbr 9:5. For the formation see Exd 25:17-21. The Heb. word is kapporeth, “the cover,” a meaning connected with the covering or removal of sin ( Psa 32:1) by means of expiatory sacrifice. This mercy seat, together with the ark, is spoken of as the footstool of God, 1Ch 28:2; cp. Psa 99:5; 132:7. The Lord promised to be present upon it and to commune with Moses “from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim,” Exd 25:22 (see CHERUBIM). In the Sept. the word epithema, which itself means “a cover,” is added to hilasterion; epithema was simply a translation of kapporeth; accordingly, hilasterion, not having this meaning, and being essentially connected with propitiation, was added. Eventually hilasterion stood for both. In 1Ch 28:11 the Holy of Holies is called “the House of the Kapporeth” (see RV, marg.). Through His voluntary expiatory sacrifice in the shedding of His blood, under Divine judgment upon sin, and through His resurrection, Christ has become the Mercy Seat for His people (Vine’s Dictionary)

 

ASK: CAN YOU THINK OF ANYTHING THAT BY ITS VERY NATURE IS EVIL, HATEFUL AND DESERVES AUTOMATICALLY YOUR ANGER AND TOTAL DESTRUCTION?

 

ASK: WHAT WOULD GENERATE YOUR FURY AND BE DEALT IMMEDIATE DEATH IF YOU FOUND IT IN YOUR BABIES CRIB, A POISONOUS SCORPION OR A BEAUTIFUL BUTTERFLY?

 

 

3.7.2.     Mercy as it relates to salvation is God’s answer to His own justice.

 

3.7.2.1.Read Eph 2:1-3.  In the end we are called “by nature objects of wrath.”

 

3.7.2.2.Read Eph. 2:4-6  BUT .. God, who is rich in mercy …”

 

3.7.2.3.“It wasn’t so long ago that you were mired in that old stagnant life of sin. You let the world, which doesn’t know the first thing about living, tell you how to live.  You filled your lungs with polluted unbelief, and then exhaled disobedience.  We all did it, all of us doing what we felt like doing, when we felt like doing it, all of us in the same boat. It’s a wonder God didn’t lose his temper and do away with the whole lot of us.  Instead, immense in mercy and with an incredible love, he embraced us. He took our sin-dead lives and made us alive in Christ. He did all this on his own, with no help from us! Then he picked us up and set us down in highest heaven in company with Jesus, our Messiah” (Eph. 2:1-6, “The Message”).

 

3.7.3.     Mercy as it relates to salvation is God’s answer to His own justice.

 

3.7.4.     The bridge from grace to mercy is peace.

 

3.7.5.     Depth of mercy, can there be / Mercy still reserved for me?  Can my God His wrath forbear? / Me the chief of sinners spare?  //// Jesus speaks, and pleads His blood! / He disarms the wrath of God; / Now my Father’s mercies move, / Justice lingers into love.  //// There for me the Savior stands, / Shows His wounds and spreads His hands. / God is love! I know, I feel; Jesus weeps and loves me still.

 

1. So What?

 

4.1.  As Paul’s understanding of the person of the Godhead and his basic beliefs permeated even the opening of his letter we need to see our Christian faith permeate the whole of our lives.

 

4.2.  We need to make sure that the key words that describe the way we live are: service, community, salvation, hope, grace, mercy, peace.

 

4.3.    In reality, “Are we authentic Christians?

 

 returned to Lystra, strengthened disciples, appointed elders and taught, “We m [Unknown A2] 

                       

1.2.1   Miscellaneous points of interest concerning these three letters

 

1.2.1       These (and Philemon) are his only letters written to individuals.

 

1.2.2       These were personal letters that show us Paul’s soul.  He wrote not intending for them to be read by hundreds of millions of people for 2,000 years.’

 

1.2.3       The negative is that all letters are like listening to one end of a telephone conversation.

 

1.2.4        Some would call this letter II Ephesians, because Paul wrote it to Timothy while he was in Ephesus. And it deals with problems there (II Tim. 1:3).

 

2       PAUL STATES HIS CHRISTIAN APOSTLESHIP

 

2.1   “Apostle” in Greek literature is an envoy, an ambassador – one who is sent out to represent his country and his king.

 

2.2   Uproar charged with taking Trophimus, a Greek, into temple area.  Read carefully Acts 21:37-22:1 and 22:19-22.  Emphasize: Then the Lord said to me, ‘Go, I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’”

 

2.3   Read Acts 26:12-19 … emphasize, “I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven.”

 

2.4   Paul states his apostleship because the church in Ephesus is looking over Timothy’s shoulder as Timothy reads this letter.

 

3       BIO OF TIMOTHY

 

3.1  Background – He had a Jewish mother and a Greek father.  He was not brought up strictly Jewish for was not circumcised. Grandmother probably lived with the family. The mother and grandmother taught him the Scriptures from infancy (II Tim. 3:15).

 

3.2   Conversion: Lived in Lystra. During Paul’s first visit to Lystra he healed a man who was lame from birth. People wanted to worship Paul and offer sacrifices to him as the Greek God Hermes. Jews from Iconium came, turned the crowd, Paul was stoned, taken out of the city for dead, recovered and left for Derbe (Acts 14).

 

ust go through many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22). [Unknown A3] 

 

Was Timothy converted at this time? “…Take hold of eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses” (I Tim. 6:12).

 

3.3   Call to Ministry – Timothy joins apostolic missionary team (Acts 16:1-3).

 

3.4   Character – His Greek name means “lover of God.”  Possibly somewhat sickly (I Tim. 5:23).  Seems to have been a timid and a bit fearful (II Tim 1:7; I Cor. 16:10-11).  Had a genuine concern for others (Phil. 1:20); was faithful (I Cor. 4:17); Had the gift of teaching? Shepherding? ((I Tim. 4:14) 2: Tim. 1:6).  Paul felt very close to Timothy: “As a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the Gospel” (Phil. 2:22); “Recalling your tears, I long to see you …” (II Tim. 2:1-4).

 

3.5   Member of “Missionary Team” until Paul was martyred. Delivered some of Paul’s letters and visited churches on his own as emissary of Paul. Became coordinator and Paul’s representative in Ephesus.  Eventually jailed and released.

 

3.6   Grandparents training grandchildren

 

Rather as a Greek (Acts 16:1) but Mother Eunice and Grandmother Lois were both Jews who believed “sincere faith” (II Tim. 1:5). They taught him Scriptures from infancy (II Tim. 3:15).

 

READ FROM BARCLAY: “It was the glory of the Jews that their children from their earliest days were trained in the law.  They claimed that their children learned the law even from their swaddling clothes and drank it in with their mother’s milk. They claimed that the law was so imprinted on the heard and the mind of the Jewish child that he would sooner forget his own name that he would forget it” (Barclay, 199).

 

QUESTION: Using the same guidelines Lois and Eunice used, according to Deut 6:4-9, what can we do to teach our grandchildren the Gospel?

 

CONCLUSION / SO WHAT?

 

1. As Paul let the Gospel influence the way he wrote his letters, we need to let the Gospel influence our whole lives in every detail.

 

1. As Paul never lost sight of his call to ministry, we must never lose sight of what God has called us to do.

 

1. We should make every effort in a gracious, non-threatening / overbearing (to parents) way, to influence our grandchildren with the Gospel Message.

 

1.2.He incorporates “Grace,” “Mercy,” “Peace” in the salutation.

 

Paul had already transformed the Greek greeting chairein (“Greetings!”) into (“Grace”) and brought alongside the Hebrew greetings shalom (“peace”).

 

2.2.1       Grace – sheer generosity, unearned and undeserved, the opposite of debt and wages.

 

2.2.2       “Peace is the antithesis to every kind of conflict and war and molestation, to enmity without the distraction within” (F.J. Hort).  “The most comprehensive form of well-being.”

 

2.2.3       “Mercy”  – Chesedh, used in the psalms no fewer than 127 times.  Means help in times of need, “It is the coming down of the Most High to help the helpless.”